writer | publisher | cat herder

Menu

Cabiri

Tomorrow night, the Cabiri begin their run of Ghost Games: 13 Witches, their yearly dinner theater show of spooky tales and aerialist magic. I had a chance to sit in on a pre-performance discussion about the upcoming show last weekend, where we got to see a beautiful performance celebrating the three faces of Hecate. White-gowned initiates spinning and performing on a triangular platform. In sync with their poses and movements until the very end, when they break free and create a form that both rises and descends through the triangular form.

All I can offer you is picture of a shadow of the platform and one of the altars. Fitting, I think, for the ephemeral nature of these performances by the Cabiri. This year’s performance concerns the power of witches—thirteen of them, in fact. And yes, as the number ’13’ has been powerful for me this year (offered to me by a Mesopotamian witch, in fact), I suspect this show is going to reach right in and grab my guts. Shake ’em hard.

I had meant to write this post as a call to attend the show, but as I’m gathering links to share, I realize the run has sold out. So, um, well, that’s fabulous. In which case, let me offer you a link to the source material for the story of Erichtho, one of the witches whose story will be told. And Peter Grey’s essay on “Rewilding Witchcraft”, which calls upon us to reclaim our wild spirits before catastrophe envelopes us.